My father once said before he died that you're never truly prepared for what life will throw at you. Even if you've survived the worst crisis of your life, another one will inevitably come along.
I can say for certain that this is true. I've been in terrible situations before, and there were more than a few times when I almost died.And in the end, I did die, which unexpectedly led me to meet a goddess who offered me her powers and divine authority.
Anyone would be excited. No one expects to be told they can become a god.
Humans are greedy creatures; history proves it. If you offer them power, they'll take it, especially if there are no consequences.
But with power comes responsibility. Failing to uphold it will only bring misfortune, not only to you but also to everyone around you.
Now that I am a god, I'm sure I have countless responsibilities… and the weight that comes with them.
All of this has already begun making me regret taking this path.
Why, you might ask?
Well, because of the two mounds currently blocking my field of vision and preventing me from even seeing my feet… along with the overwhelming sensation that something very important has vanished from between my legs.
Do you understand my point now? No?
Let me put it plainly. As you can see, I AM A WOMAN. I have transformed into a woman. Why? I have no idea. The goddess said a new body would be created the moment I traveled to a new world, but she didn't mention that it would be female.
My dearest brother, the one who accompanied me from birth through countless lonely nights, has been taken from me.
I'm sad… and also very angry. A storm of emotions is swirling inside me right now.
...
Okay, calm down. There must be a reason for this. A change this drastic can't happen without one.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
While I was internally breaking down, an unfamiliar ringing echoed inside my head. I didn't know where it came from, so just as panic began creeping in, something appeared at the edge of my vision.
It was a translucent floating screen, and inside it, text began to form.
[Hello again. It's me, the beautiful goddess now mortal who sent you to this world. Did you miss me? I bet you did. Well, enough with greetings. What I'm leaving in this box is a set of instructions to help you adjust to this world and your new body. That's all I wanted to say, so I'll be going now. Oh, by the way, I included extra features, so it also works as a companion. I can answer anything within the system's capabilities. Well, until we meet again. Goodbye!]
After I finished reading the message, my grip tightened around the floating screen and my irritation skyrocketed.
"Why am I a woman?! Where is my brother?!"
[The question is outside the limits of the system.]
"Shit."
For a moment, I truly wanted to smash the damn screen. Give me a real explanation, even if you are the goddess of imprisonment!
...
Okay. I'm calm now. Let's leave the whole turning into a woman thing for later. First, I need to figure out where I am.
"Alright then… where am I right now?"
Since becoming a woman, I had forgotten to look around. I quickly scanned my surroundings as I asked. All I could see were trees in every direction.
[You are currently on the continent of Gaia, within the Dragon's Mouth mountain range. It is a fertile land untouched by human hands. The forest you are in has no recorded name. You are near its center.]
In short, I'm far from civilization. And in a forest… of all places.
It would've been nice to appear near a city or something.
[With your current appearance, I don't think that would be a good idea.]
"What? I just turned into a woman. I don't think I'm— oh. Right. I'm completely naked."
I had noticed earlier, but I must have pushed it out of my mind. I guess it's because I don't feel any difference compared to wearing clothes.
"Why don't I feel cold if I'm naked?"
[Your body is no longer human. Cold or heat shouldn't affect you.]
"Quite convenient. By the way, you've been replying to me this whole time. Is this really supposed to be a pre-programmed message?"
[The system's functions are self learning. I can respond consciously.]
"I see… hey, do you really not know why I became a woman?"
[I don't have that kind of information in my memory bank, but I think you should be able to figure it out on your own.]
"As how?"
[The goddess of death and vengeance is linked to information from various worlds and civilizations, as well as data from different gods. Since you inherited her position, accessing that information should be simple.]
"I see… so how do I do that?"
[You just have to think about the type of information you want, and it will automatically appear in your mind.]
So it's basically a multiversal Google. Incredibly convenient.
Alright then… why did I transform into a woman?
After asking myself the question, a surge of information instantly flooded my head. It made me dizzy at first, but I managed to steady myself.
After going through everything, I found the most disappointing answer imaginable.
"This is because the goddess of death and vengeance is identified with having the form of a woman."
That was the reason. The moment I inherited her position, my body changed to match the established concept of that god. And it cannot be altered.
Just because she was a woman.
I fell onto the ground dramatically, devastated by the confirmation that I would never see my brother again in this lifetime.
To make it worse, one of the promises I made to my parents before they died was that I would someday build a happy family. It's still possible… but I'm not insane enough to do it with a man. I may have lost my penis, but I still like women, and I refuse to change that.
"Wait. There's still a chance!"
I jumped to my feet, suddenly hopeful. I now have access to existential information from various worlds, including divine knowledge. There must be a method to create offspring without the involvement of the opposite sex.
I immediately began searching, and to my surprise, there were several methods: scientific, magical, spiritual, even racial.
The one that caught my attention involved the fusion of energies through intimate contact. Combined with a technique derived from succubi, it essentially amounted to… sex.
Lesbian sex that can create children. If something like this existed in my old world, it would cause a global meltdown. And apparently, the sensation is beyond incredible. I'm very curious.
"Hehe… hehehe."
[You are making a rather unladylike expression, miss.]
"Shut up! And don't call me miss!"
Even though it was just a floating screen, I could swear it was looking at me with judgment.
What would a machine that only repeats stored messages know about the suffering of a virgin who barely had contact with women in his entire life?
"Alright. I know what I'm going to do."
With newfound determination, I decided on my next steps. First, I'll explore this forest and establish a base. Then I'll leave the mountain range, search for intelligent life, and build connections.
That part is going last, though, since I'm having trouble accepting my new appearance… and I was never very good at socializing to begin with.
All of this to say…
"I need clothes."
Even if there's nobody else here, I'm not the type who wants to wander around naked forever. Especially not now that I'm a woman.
[Why doesn't she create clothes with magic?]
"Is that possible?"
[Of course. You can practically do anything with magic.]
"I see… and how do I use magic?"
[Normally, mortals study various methods to wield it. In your case, you only need to worry about not running out of imagination. Just think about what you want, and it will appear.]
"Whatever I want, eh?"
Let's try it.
I stretched my hands out in front of me and focused on the object I wanted to create. I could feel something rising from within me, taking form right before my eyes.
"Oohh!"
Amazing. In less than a second, a full length mirror materialized in front of me.
I decided to make a mirror first because I still hadn't seen my full appearance clearly since arriving in this world. My breasts were large enough to block my lower view, and besides, having a proper look at my body would be useful when designing clothes.
"This is truly unexpected."
I couldn't help but be stunned by what I saw.
The reflection revealed a mature woman with a strong and captivating figure. A beautiful face with an air of dignity. Eyes that shone with conviction and strength, each a different color: one blue, one red.
The only unusual thing was the scar crossing my red eye. I recognized it instantly. The same scar I received the night my parents died.
And that wasn't the only strange thing.
I was abnormally tall, easily surpassing two meters. Practically a giant. My body was muscular and well defined, and many of the scars from my original life remained, giving me the appearance of a beautiful warrior.
Calling me a maiden would be an insult. Even though I became a woman, it seems I retained some aspects of my masculinity in a way that complements the beauty of this new body.
Another unusual detail was the pair of sizable white horns resting on either side of my long black hair. They were probably the most striking feature aside from my heterochromatic eyes.
I turned to the system for answers.
[I have no information about it, but it is probably just a coincidence.]
"Even if you say that, won't this be a problem when I interact with humans?"
[Horns of this type are commonly found in the Majin race, part of the demon family. Demons are generally recognized as just another race in this world, so it should not be a significant problem. It would simply be uncommon to see one living in a human settlement.]
So horns aren't rare here. If there's an entire race that has them, then this really is a world straight out of a fantasy.
"I have a clear image now. I should create some clothes quickly. I don't want to stay naked any longer."
[Do not forget to use feminine pronouns when referring to yourself, miss.]
"Do not call me miss!"
I know it is strange to keep using masculine pronouns when I obviously look like a woman, but I still can't get used to speaking of myself as one. Haa… let's just finish the clothes.
I put aside unnecessary thoughts and focused on the matter of clothing. I'm not someone very familiar with fashion; I usually just choose clothes that are comfortable.
But since I have the opportunity, I'll take some inspiration from the characters in my favorite TV series and video games.
"This will do the trick."
With a clear image in mind, a dark red light began to envelop my body. It didn't take long before my new outfit was fully formed.
"Maybe I exaggerated a little."
I guess taking ideas from video games wasn't the best idea.
What I'm seeing now could be considered the very image of a military empress.
A black base outfit with silver ornaments on the shoulders, arms, and legs. A long trench coat with detailing at the edges, a black nightgown, a dark gray vest secured by three belts with dragon shaped buckles, black military pants and boots, and a thick chain with a crucifix embedded with a red crystal.
I look like the perfect template for a villain in a military fantasy novel.
"You can see it well?"
[With your current appearance, I doubt there's anything that wouldn't suit you.]
Was that a compliment? I suppose it was.
Now that I think about it, isn't this situation similar to the novels I used to read? It's a bit late to realize it, but if that's the case, then something else might be true…
"Hey, isn't there something like a status screen that shows my stats in this world?"
[They exist, but gods don't usually need them. They can achieve anything simply by wishing it.]
"…That makes sense. But can I still see mine?"
[You can try, though you probably won't find much at first. Besides, gods can freely manipulate stats, since they're meaningless to them.]
Now I'm a bit unsure whether it's worth checking… but since I can, I might as well try.
"…So how do I— oh! There it is!"
Just as I wondered how to open it, another translucent box appeared in front of me. It was probably my status screen.
I took a look, but what I found disappointed me.
The statistics were displayed as follows:
Level: ______
Name: ______
Gender: Female
Race: ______
Titles: Goddess of Death and Vengeance
HP: ______
MP: ______
Vitality:
Vigor:
Dexterity:
Strength:
Agility:
Intelligence:
Luck:
Karma:
Active Skills:
Passive Skills:
Racial Skills:
Unique Skills:
There was basically nothing. Just the gender and a title, nothing else.
"Why is my status practically empty? I don't even have a name."
[Because the power of a god cannot be measured by something created for mortals. As for the name, you are now a completely different being from who you were in your previous life. You are a newborn, so to speak. You have no name because no one has given you one.]
"…"
I couldn't help but sigh. I was honestly hoping to see something more interesting, but I guess that's how it is. Still, since I can manipulate my status freely, I'll play around with it later.
The name problem can wait.
"Well, I've finished what I wanted to do, so let's move on."
[This forest is teeming with powerful monsters, but that's from a mortal's perspective. I doubt any of them could really harm you.]
"At least it will help me figure out how strong I am."
I'm curious to see what I'm capable of now.
"Along the way, will you be able to explain more about this world?"
[That's why I'm here.]
"Alright… let's go!"
With that, I began my new adventure. I wonder what the future holds.